Tomorrow sees the launch of PS4 system software 4.50 and with it a host of new features, including one owners have been asking for since the console's release - the ability to store games on an external hard drive.
Sony is calling this "extended storage", but simply put it introduces a function the Xbox One and Wii U have had since their respective launches – the option to store games on any USB 3.0-compatible external drive between 250GB and 8TB.
Once formatted through the PS4, you'll be able to download or move games onto the new drive and, as long as it's connected to the console, any titles stored externally will show up on the home screen, ready to play.
Both the regular PS4 and the PS4 Pro come with either 500GB or 1TB hard drives, and rapidly fill as games are installed. Although both models can be upgraded, the internal drive cannot be physically larger than 9mm, which currently means capacity is limited to a maximum of 2TB. It's worth noting save data cannot be stored on an external drive, although cloud storage through PlayStation Plus will allow you to transfer date between machines.
Elsewhere, the update introduces performance improvements for older games on PS4 Pro consoles. While developers can release patches to enhance a particular game's performance on the more powerful hardware, not all titles are supported. This is where Boost Mode comes in, which Sony says "has been designed to provide better performance for select legacy titles that have not been patched to take advantage of the PS4 Pro’s faster CPU and its faster and double-sized GPU."
Benefits will include frame rate improvements and stability, and potentially shorter load times. Sony cautions that not all games will be guaranteed an improvement, though.
PlayStation's social aspects will get an overhaul, too. You'll be able to share and caption screenshots taken after tapping the 'Share' button, posting directly to your activity feed, while voice chat is now supported when using Remote Play on PC. Screenshots can now also be used as custom wallpapers.
If you own a PlayStation VR, the update packs in a few improvements there. The main draw is the support for 3D Blu-ray, with the ability to view movies in stereoscopic 3D if watched through the headset on its virtual screen. The PS VR's Cinematic Mode gets a boost too, with the frame rate going up from 90Hz to 120Hz, if your screen size is set to small or medium.
Overall, this is a major update for Sony and one that looks set to please a lot of players. If you've enabled automatic updates, you'll be prompted to apply the new software when the patch goes live tomorrow. Otherwise, you'll be able to manually check for the update through system settings.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
